Today’s guest is Pat Flynn, a highly successful blogger and podcaster who teaches people how to make a “Smart Passive Income.”

Some people choose disruption, but many times disruption comes when we least expect it. In 2008, Pat Flynn was happy with his life. Working as the youngest Job Captain in the history of his architectural firm, he was on track for his dream occupation—world famous architect. When the national economic crisis hit Irvine, Pat found himself suddenly without a job and without any realistic prospects for employment. He wasn’t sure where to go or what to do when a timely podcast changed his life forever.

“I discovered a show called “Internet Business Mastery,” and one of the first episodes I listened to was…a guy being interviewed on that show, who was making six figures a year helping people pass the PM Exam, or the Project Management Exam. And that was my first kind of “Aha!” moment in all this…I took a number of exams to get to where I’m at now, and one of them in particular, which was the last one I had taken, was really difficult, and I know a lot about it. [I thought] maybe I could do what this person’s doing.”

What started as a simple blog to get a little money on the side soon turned into an eBook study guide that made almost $8,000 in the first month of its release. Pat was blown away by the response to his blog and his book, but what meant even more to him than the money was the impact his work was having on others.

“I was getting emails back from my customers saying, “Thank you so much, this is exactly what I needed, I’ve been looking for this information for days. I wish that there was a some way I could repay you even more than this ebook…[t]hat’s why the way I run my business now and the way that I teach others to run their businesses is to always serve first. Because when you serve others and you help them, they’re gonna look for ways to repay you back.”

While he would have been happy being an architect, Pat recognizes that his journey has stretched him in ways he never imagined and given him the unique opportunity to help others. Playing where no one is playing can be scary, but Pat learned to press on, even when the fear was almost crippling, and finds satisfaction in helping others do the same.

Join us as we discuss how Pat learned to connect with his audience, expand his opportunities, and push outside of his comfort zone. 

Show notes and links available at http://whitneyjohnson.com/pat-flynn